Shoe sole compound

ABSTRACT

A POLYMERIC MATERIAL USEFUL FOR SHOE SOLING CAN BE PREPARED BY BLENDING, E.G., ON A HEATED MILL: (1) 15 TO 85 PHR. (PARTS PER HUNDRED TOTAL RESIN) OF STYRENE/BUTADIENE/STYRENE (80/20 TO 20/80 WEIGHT PERCENT) BLOCK COPOLYMER, (II) 20 TO 80 PHR. OF STYRENE/BUTADIENE (75/25 TO 95/5 WEIGHT PERCENT) COPOLYMER RESIN, AND (III) 10 TO 90 PHR. OF ETHYLENE/VINYL ACETATE (91/9 TO 55/45 WEIGHT PERCENT). STYRENE/ISOPRENE BLOCK COPOLYMERS MAY BE SUBSTITUTED IN (I) AND POLYESTER RESINS IN (III) ABOVE.

United States Patent 3,576,911 SHOE SOLE COMPOUND Frank S. Maxey, Akron, Ohio, assignor to The Goodyear Tire 8: Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio No Drawing. Filed Mar. 27, 1969, Ser. No. 811,260 Int. Cl. C08f 33/08; C08g 39/10 U.S. Cl. 260-876 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND There is a need in the shoe industry for a low-cost composition soling compound which can be produced without the time-consuming, costly curing operation normally employed but still has the properties of a cured soling compound. The only compounds fitting this description which presently exist are vinyl, vinyl-nitrile rubber, and crepe rubber materials. Each has only limited special uses. The uncured material which is needed requires the characteristics of a high degree of toughness, high flexibility, and low cost, Attempts have been made to use styrene/butadiene block copolymers and high styrene resins, which have these desirable characteristics, but they have been unsuccessful because of cost and compounding incompatibility. Applicant has discovered that the addition of either ethylene/vinyl acetate resins or polyester resins permits the formation of smoothly blended compounds having the desired characteristics.

SYMBOLS AND DEFINITIONS As employed in this specification and claims, the following symbols are employed to represent the meanings shown therewith:

S/ B/ S represents a styrene/ butadiene/ styrene block copolymer having a center segment of the polymer chain consisting of polybutadiene and both end portions consisting of polystyrene.

S/I/S represents a styrene/isoprene/styrene block co polymer having a center segment of the polymer chain consisting of polyisoprene and both end portions consisting of polystyrene.

S/ B represents a copolymer of styrene and butadiene.

E/VA represents a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate.

D.S.V. represents the dilute solution viscosity in toluene at 30 C.

T represents the glass transition temperature,

PE represents an amorphous polyester resin prepared by reacting terephthalic or isophthalic acid and ethylene or diethylene glycol or tetramethylene glycol or mixtures of such acids and glycols.

INVENTION Applicant has discovered a composition" of material which meets the requirements for a tough, low-cost, highly flexible shoe soling material. It comprises a composition formed by mixing:

S/B/S block copo1ymer=15 to 85 phr.

S/B weight percent ratio=/20 to 20/80 (preferred D.S.V.=0.5 to 2.4 (preferred 0.97)

S/I/S block copolymer-=15 to phr.

S/I weight percent ratio=80/20 to 20/80 (preferred D.S.V.=0.5 to 2.4 (preferred 1.40)

and

S/B copolymer resin=20 to 80 phr. S/B weight percent ratio=75/25 to /5 (preferred 85/ 15i3) Refractive index=1.585 to 1.593 (preferred 1.587) Heat distortion point (ASTM D648A) =75 to F.

(preferred 90 F.) and (III) E/VA copolymer resin=20 to 80- phr.

E/VA weight percent ratio=91/9 to 55/45 (preferred Melt index=0.7 to 2.5 (preferred 1.2)

PE resin-=15 to 85 phr,

Glycol/ acid weight percent=30/ 70 to 70/30 T =30 to 50 C.

MATERIALS AND PROCESSING The manufacture and properties of the block copolymer useful as Component I in the practice of the invention are disclosed in US. Pats. 3,231,635, 3,265,765, and 3,333,024. These materials as well as Components II and III are available commercially.

The three components may be blended in any order and may be blended in conventional Banbury mixers or on a heated rubber mill. If on a mill, it is preferable to initiate milling with the component which is most difficult to mill. Ths is normally the resinous polymer requiring the highest temperature to soften.

Following mixing or milling, the compound is fed through an extruder and formed into sheets suitable for use in fabricating shoe soles. It has been found preferable to employ a roller head extruder for this application.

UTILITY The compound of the invention is useful for fabricating shoe soles for use with either leather or composition uppers and they may be readily stitched or attached with a suitable adhesive to either type of shoe upper.

EXAMPLES The practice of this invention is illustrated by reference to the following examples which are intended to be representative rather than restrictive of the scope of this invention.

Examples 1-4 Mixtures of each pair of the three components of the invention were attempted to be blended on a heated rubber mill at various temperatures. The results are contained in Table I. The compound of Example 1 was dry, crumbly, and poorly mixed even though the structural formula of the components would indicate their compatibility. The compounds of Examples 2 and 3, while not dry, were grainy with lumps of nndispersed material. This result would be anticipated from the structural and chemical differences of these components. Efforts to facilitate blending by the conventional technique of adding stearic acid were unsuccessful. In Example 4, the compound of 4 the invention produced a smooth, tough sheet even withsoling compound. The results of these experiments are out the presence of stearic acid. contained in Table III.

TAB LE I Example N 0.

Component 1 2 3 Item IV, Stearic ac1d 1. 1.0

Milling temperature- 175-250 F 175250 F l60-l80 F 175-250 F.

Milling behavior Dry, batch crumbled and tell Grainy, lumpy, soft. Rather Grainy,jlumpy, soft. Rather Good, smooth, tough sheet.

from mill rolls. Hard to sticky. Weak. sticky. Weak. Nolumps or graininess form continuous band. present.

Hand tear Poor Poor Poor Excellent.

Examples 5-8 Examples 5 through 8 demonstrate the beneficial effect TABLE In of the compound of the invention when using a polyester Example as the third ingredient. Different commercially avaliable Component 19 110 3 S/B/S polymers were used in Examples 5 and 6 than I S/B/S 50 100 50 were employed in Examples 6 and 7, but the eflect of the 50 50 an addition of the polyester was the same in both instances. III EN 28 These examples also demonstrate that Whiting (CaCO 20 30 20 and process oil may be blended into the mixture without adversely afiecting the beneficial result of the invention 0911161 not l satisfactorily y ry, fell m of mill- Milled very nlcely. Formed smooth sheet. No dryness or roughness or detracting from the usefulness of the end product 30 evident soling material. These results are shown in Table 11.

TABLE II While certain representative embodiments and details Example No. have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that mponen various changes and modifications may be made therein it?!) i f5. 1233::::::::::::::33:33:13.1?311.E9919. 23:3 23:8 Without departing mm the Spirit scope of the inveng sg 00.0 60.0 d tIOn. 1v whiter-(255663 ere 6010 "'60'6' @010 What 15 dammed VProcessOi1. 20.0 20.0 20.0 20.0 1. A flexible reslnous shoe sole composition com- Total 240.0 250.0 240.0 250.0 pnsmg: 1C m t in B t h N d M M n n (I) 15 to 85 phr. of a styrene/butadiene/ styrene block on no a ru a re r0 Milled sati l' actorily to ion ii5510031, h igh s i ier ig th con lpound. cop9lymer l l a center segment of the polymer 232% Styrene,D.S.V.=.96. chain consistmg of polybutadiene and both end gazggfigg fiy gfii portions consisting of polystyrene, or a styrene/ Tetramethylene terephthalate polyester; T,=3so. isoprene/styrene block copolymer having a center segment of the polymer chain consisting of polyisoprene and both end portions consisting of polystyrene, having a styrene to butadiene or styrene to isoprene weight percent ratio between 80/20 and Examples 20/80, and a D.S.V. of between 0.5 and 2.4; and These examples demonstrate the improved process t 80 phr. of a styrene/butadiene copolymer resln, having a styrene to butadiene weight percent ability of the compound ofthe invention over a com pound containing only S/B/S and S/ B when, in both instances, 50-150 parts of pigment and 20-30 parts of process oil have been added. The latter polymers blended poorly over a milling temperature range of 160-275 F. The addition of pigment and oil did not improve the milling characteristics of the two-component blend. The addition of E/VA which, though incompatible individually with the other two materials, provided the means of producing an easy milling, processable compound.

In compounding Example 9, the Component I was added to a mill roll set at 200 F. After a reasonably smooth band formed, Component II was added. Initially, some improvement was noticed, but this changed rapidly to the place where the batch became dry and crumbly and fell in pieces from the mill rolls. Raising the temperature to 275 F. did very little to improve the milling characteristics of this combination. Addition of the process oil at this temperature d t lower temperatures did not id Component II has a styrene to butadiene weight pernoticable improvement. Only the addition of Component Cent ratio of 35/15i3, a refractive index of III produced a smooth, tough, flexible sheet of useful 7 and a heat distortion point of F.; and

ratio between 75/25 and /5, a refractive index between 1.585 and 1.593, and a heat distortion point (ASTM D648A) between 75 F. and F.; and (III) 20 to 80 phr. of an ethylene/vinyl acetate co- 60 polymer resin, having an ethylene to vinyl acetate weight percent ratio between 91/ 9 and 55/45, and a melt index between 0.7 and 2.5; or 20 to 80 phr. of an amorphous polyester resin prepared by reacting terephthalic or isophthalic acid and ethylene or di- 65 ethylene glycol or tetramethylene glycol or mixtures of such acids and glycols, having an acid/glycol weight percent ratio between 30/70 and 70/30, and a T of between 30 and 50 C. 2. The composition of claim 1 wherein Component I is a styrene/butadiene/styrene block copolymer having a styrene to butadiene weight percent ratio of 30/70i5 and a D.S.V. of about 0.97;

6 Component III is ethylene/vinyl acetate having an FOREIGN PATENTS ethylene to vinyl acetate weight percent ratio of 686,721 5/1964 Canada 260 876 81/1913 and a melt index of about 1.2.

M EL H.-BLEC E References Cited 6 SA U H Primaiy xammer UNITED STATES PATENTS U.S. Cl. X.R.

3,424,649 1/1969 Nyberg et a1 260876 260'23.7, 41.5, 873, 889

Dedication 3,57 6,911.Fmmk S. Massey, Akron, Ohio. SHOE SOLE COMPOUND. Patent dated Apr. 27, 1971. Dedication filed Dec. 20, 1971, by the assignee, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Oompamy. Hereby dedicates to the People of the United States the entire term of said patent.

[Official Gazette July 18, 1972.] 

